Tuesday, October 7, 2008

The List Project: Helping Our Iraq Allies

"The List Project is a non-profit operating in the U.S., founded with the belief that the United States Government has a clear and urgent moral obligation to resettle to safety Iraqis who are imperiled due to their affiliation with the United States of America.

The List Project is the first comprehensive organizational effort to honor the sacrifice of these Iraqis. It has two pillars:

1. Help as many of the hundreds of Iraqis on our constantly-expanding List make it to the United States through a groundbreaking partnership with two top law firms and over 150 attorneys.

2. Provide a "cushion" for resettled Iraqis upon their arrival to America by:

building an integration support fund to help defray emergency expenses, and

helping them find meaningful employment through our expanding network of partnerships with the innovative NGOs like Upwardly Global.

Never before has there been such a vast group of refugees with access to their own pro bono representation by top U.S. law firms. Our partnership with domestic NGOs will maximize their integration so that they can be productive and successful in their new lives here in the U.S. The project hopes to contribute to a fundamental paradigm-shift in the way at-risk refugees can be assisted.

There is reason for optimism. We have succeeded in resettling dozens of Iraqis who fled their country because they helped us. Many more are on their way in the coming weeks and months. More and more law firms are approaching the List Project to contribute attorneys to the cause. American citizens write each day to offer rooms in their homes for the Iraqis we resettle, and contribute what small amounts they can.

But the List continues to grow at a frightening pace. An average of twelve new Iraqis are referred or write to the List Project each week. Because of the absurdly lengthy resettlement process, our allies who have fled to neighboring countries are losing hope of a life in peace in America, and with increasing regularity, giving up and submitting to whatever deadly fate awaits them back in Iraq.

The List Project is a U.S. 501(c)3 non-profit organization under the Tides Foundation."